Because I’m worth it

I haven’t been showing up much lately, not just here but in every way that matters for my emotional, mental, and physical health.

Work is going well, Junior League is going well, I keep up with the laundry (not ahead of it but at least it’s done and put away), and I haven’t missed a sewing class yet (last one is tomorrow), but I started a “30 days of yoga” program last week and have managed not even one minute of yoga thus far. Nor have I gotten in any activity above my daily minimum required to go about my life. I have time for hours of TV and web surfing every day but no time to walk for just 10 minutes at a low to moderate intensity? Really? I call baloney on that.

So I got up this morning, took care of Al the Wonder Pug, showered, and then went to a Weight Watchers meeting where I found out that I’ve gained 0.8 pounds since my last weigh in three weeks ago. Hardly surprising since I’ve done nothing positive for my health and I’m surprised the gain isn’t more.

Scale by vividBreeze on Flickr

Now I know where I’m starting – 242 pounds, in case you’d like to keep track with me – and where I want to go – 141 pounds, which is the very top of the healthy weight range for my height, so now it’s down to figuring out how best to get from here to there without becoming too obsessive and while still incorporating the parts of my current lifestyle that are serving me well.

For this week, I’m focusing on walking for 10 minutes each day which will give me one WW Activity Point per day and that translates into 1/2 of a small, nonfat, sugar free vanilla latte. (Yes, I work best with the rewards system!) I’ll report in on my progress as I’m able and will definitely be here this time next week for a full update on the week.

For those that have busy lives and lots of people depending on you, can you share how you make time for yourself and for your health on a daily basis? Any suggestions for how to fit 10 minutes of activity into a day?

Comments

go for it denise… cheering you on over here in scotland! for me it comes down to just doing it… whether it’s giving up 10 mins online or 10 mins of cleaning up the kitchen, i just gotta squeeze it somehow. and just know that everyone who loves you wants you to be around for a long time; they would want you to take this time for you. could they come for a walk with you? much love, buddy!

I’ve written about this topic before because it’s one of my favorites. It involves a behavioral phenomenon that cuts through all the excuses, distractions, false motivations, and BS. It has to do with the sacred Golden Hour. Do you get up or not?

For those of you who need a refresher, the Golden Hour is a 60-minute period of time in the morning in which nobody else is around – no kids, no spouse, no boss, no ringing phone, no meetings, no carpooling, no dentist appointment, no nuthin’.

The exact time of your Golden Hour can vary, but a popular window is 5am – 6am. What you do in that 60 minutes is up to you – but it’s also very telling.

I can hear the groans and excuses already. 5am?? But it’s pitch black. And cold. And my bed is so warm. But what about my sleep? But what if I’m not a morning person?

I could go on, but I’ll spare you the even longer list.

Golden Hour

Here’s my conviction:

If you can’t muster the energy to get out of bed at [5:00am], then you just don’t care enough about your goals.

There I said it. I feel better now. I really believe this. The most common (and convenient) excuse for nearly everything is “I just don’t have the time”. Oh, really? Not enough time? What’s going on between 5-6am every morning?

Do you really “not have enough time” or are you really saying “I don’t care enough about X to get up at 5am to do something about it”.

So I will leave you with this question to ponder:

Do I care enough about [fill in your most burning goal here] to get myself up at 5am every morning?

If the answer is yes, then welcome to the Club. In fact, if the goal(s) is strong enough, you should be looking forward to that alarm ringing. You should be jumping out of bed to get started. It shouldn’t be a struggle, an inconvenience, or a sacrifice. It should be the highlight of your day.

If the answer is no, then find a goal, interest, or project that’s a little more compelling.

For me anything important that I want to accomplish, I have to do first. Otherwise life happens, and it keeps getting pushed back and pushed back and eventually sacrificed for other pressing matters. So it helps to give exercise the highest (and earliest) priority on your schedule, and allow yourself to believe it’s important, and know that it’s an enabler and enhancer for everything else in your life – you do everything else better when you stay active.

I keep coming back to that same thought, Ginger, and then I’m frightened off by having to get up at 5:15 am to do a 20 minute walk every morning. I guess, as I write that, 5:15 isn’t so bad. Le sigh. I’ll try it tomorrow and report back about how it went.